Packing of pistons, plungers, and the like.



H.-P. OWEN. PAOKING 0F PISTONS, PLUNGERS, AND THE LIKE. APPLIOATIOK rmm MAR. 19, 1912.

1,060,622, Patented May 6, 1913.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRYI IPERCY OWEN, F LIVERPOOL, ENGLAN D.

PACKING OF PIS'JIQNS, PLUNGERS, AND THE LIKE.

Applicationfiled March 19, 1912. Serial No. 684,757.

T 0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY PERCY Owen, a subject (if the King of Great Britain, re siding in Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, in the Kingdom of England, have in- "vented certain new and useful Improvements-in'or Relating to the Packing of Pistons, Plungers, and the Like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in packing rings for the pistons or ilun ers of steam en ines internal combus-' o z: a

ring being in excess of the pressure. of the film. of fluid existingbetween the outside or working face of the ring and the walls M of the working barrel, and hence the packworking barrel many ing rings soon get worn out and break, also quires truing up. To allow for this wear and insure contact between the rings and engineers apply springs at the back of the ring which is further detrimental as it accentuates the friction, while others attempt to make the ringsa -perfectly fiuid tight fit in the groove to prevent the admission of fluid into the space at the back of the ring which is obviously impracticable without nterfering with the freedom of the ring. 7

To further explain what I mean, reference is had-to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, which is a transverse section through an ordinary packing ring, piston,

and cylinder, in which 2 is the'lpiston, 1 the packingring located in a groove in the piston, and 3 the cylinder. Assuming for example -that the impelling force on the side lot the piston is 100 poundsper square inch, and the pressure on the other side of the piston zero, the ring would be forced hard against the-lower side 9 of the groove, sealing the surfaces in contact and thus preventing the passage of fluid, sothat the pres 1 sure in the space 8 would immediatelyrise to the higher pressure, i. e. 100 lbs. per" square inch due to the-leakage or passage of fluid through the narrow annular spaceiat 16. This narrow annuiar space is caused only by the clearance or freedom of the ring.

Now between the ring and the walls of the cylinder at 7 there exists a film of fluid, be-

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 6, 1 s13.

' cause scientific and practical demonstration proves that contact between solid bodies -(notwithstanding true surfaces) exists only at innumerable points, the interstices being occupied by fluid at a pressure dependent on the pressure at. the edges of contact. This is a veryimportant point to understand because upon this principle is based the success of my invention and is fully supported in practice. 'At the point of contact 5 the pressure (taking the assumed figures) -is 100 pounds per square inch and at the point of contact 6 the pressure is zero, therefore the pressure of the film of fluid existing between the ring 1 and the cylinder wall 3 must decrease from the point 5 to-the point 6 in direct ratio of the distance from these points, giving a mean pressure of lbs,

per square inch. Now as before stated there is a pressure of 100 lbs. per square inch in the space8, acting upon the back of the ring, there is therefore an effective difi'erence of pressure of 50 lbs. per square inch the working barrel gets so worn that it re-' pressing the ring outward against the walls of the cylinder, which accounts for the excessive friction and ultimate destruction through wear of the ordinary types of packing rings. To add to this outward pressure by applying springs behind the packing rings, is further detrimental, as it accentuates friction. Now the present invention has been designed to avoid these defects, and its object is accomplished by causing the fluid .at highest working pressure to obtain access behind the ring and also between a portion of the'working face of the ring and the working barrel, and so arranging these two opposite pressures, thatthe' ring shall be "more nearly in equilibrium, 6. e. the total pressure behind the ring shall only be a little in excess of the total pressure at the work 'ing face. Hence the tightness of the ring against the passage of t e fluid is provided for by the slight difference between the total pressure at the back of the ring and that at its working face. Thus the friction between the packing ring and the working barrel is reduced to a minimum and consequently there can be little or no wear of ring or cylinder.

Referring how to Fig. 2 which is a transverse section through the packing ring, piston, and cylinder and Fig. 3, which is a side elevation of a fragment of my packing ring, I form the piston 2 according to my inven'-;

tion with afairly wide groove or grooves 9 in itsperiphery, each of which grooves re-- ceives a packing ring. The groove 9 is rather deeper than the ring, so that when the ring is inserted into position, there is a space ll behind the ring. Also the grooves 9 are of such width that thc.ring is an easy fit in its groove. The ring is of some suitable and elastic material such as cast iron or phosphor bronze, and of the split ring type, the portion of the metal removed where the split 12 occurs, permitting the ring to close up to the correct diameter of the cylinder. It is in no sense essential to rely on the natural outward spring of the ring to secure tightness against the passage of fluid. In fact, I prefer that its natural spring shall only be sullicient to keep it the same. diameter as the cylinder. The ring is formed with holes .01 ports 13 extending from the inner peripheral. surface to the working face of the ring, so as to permitv the working fluid to pass through, and thus place theinncr and outer peripheral surface of the ring in communication. These ports 13, of which there are any suitable number, are made at close intervals apart all around the full periphery of the ring, leaving narrow portions at 14: and 1.4" at each side of the ring joined together by cross pieces 15 between the ports, these narrow portions and the cross pieces forming the working faces of the packing ring. 'The ring being an easy fit in the piston groove 9, the working fluid entering at one end of the cylinder, presses the ring laterally against the far end of the groove, and so is able to enter through the narrow annular slit 16 between the ring and the edge of the groove 9 at its working pressure end,

into the space ll behind the packing ring, and the ring being ported the fluid pressure also passes into these ports extending from the inner peripheryof the ring to its outer one.

Applying the theory hereinbefore referred to (as to the distribution of pressures) to my improved ring, and assuming as before that the impelling force on the side 4 of the piston is 100 pounds per square inch, and the pressure on the other side is zero, then the pressure of the fluid at the points of contact 5 and T so far as regards the narrow portion 14- is 100 lbs. per Square inch, and therefore the pressure of the film of fluid 6 bet-ween this portion of the ring and the walls of the cylinder is equal to the pressure on the back of thering. This portion of the ring, taken individually is therefore in equilibrium with/ regardito the fluid pressure surrounding it, and would be as freely moved, and with as little friction as if exposed to the ordinary atmospheric pressure. F'orthe same reason the conneciing pieces 15 are in equilibrium. WVith rega d to the other narrow portion 14 the pres ire at'the point of contact 18 is 100 lbs. an t the point 1.9, zero, therefore the fissure of the film of fluid 20 between this'portion of the ring and: thecylinder wall will be 50 lbs. per square inch, but the pressure on the back of the ring being 100v lbs, per square inch there is an efie ctive'difference of pressure of 50 lbs. per square inch pressing this portion of. the ring outward against the walls of the cylinder, but as the area of ring exposed to this difference of pressure is only a fraction of the whole surfaces in contact- (since the remainder of the.

ring is in equilibriunrwith regard to fluid pressure) the total effective force pressing thcring outward against the walls of'the cylinder is only a fraction of-what it would be with a plain or ordinary ring. Further more, since the whole of the working sur-.

faces are in contact, all portions of these surfaces mustsupport-or resist this outward force, so that the outward force, which in total amount is comparatively small, is distributed over the whole working surface of more nearly in equilibrium. Consequently.

there can be no excessive pressure of the ring against the cylinder, friction and Wear on the working barrel is reduced, and an: increased efliciency of the engineor' pump is the result. The packing ring provides a considerable bearingsurface, whichis another great advantage, because the bearing surface is increased while the friction is decreased. When the working pressure is admitted at the opposite end of the cylinder, then of course the ring is pressed laterally against the edge of the groove which was previously at the pressure the ring, and therefore at anyparticular.

being Wide, it-

end of the cylinder, and the end at which the fluid enters intothe groove is reversed.

In the drawing, thering is cut diagonally, and the slit 12 covered by a tongue plate 21 inside the ring and riveted to the ring at 22, this. tongue plate'havin a flange 23 which enters a recess in the ct ge of the covers the end of the slit 1:2,

provided with a rin The ports however ring, and so that no. steam can'pass through the slit, but any may be any suitable shape, amt there may be one, two or more rows of them around the ring as shown in the example depicted in I l igs. t aml 5. If there is more than "one 5 row, then of course there are besides the narrow portions 14f and 1..t" at each side of the ring, one /or more intermediate portions 24, but itis'bnly the. working face of that poril t-ion next the exhaust. side of t'hepiston that has an inward pressure exerted upon it, less than the outward pressure.

The ring being in one piccc, one pa i't cannot. press harder against the wall of the cylinder than another part, in other words the 15 narrow, portion adjoining the side of great est pressure, the narrow portion adjoining the side of least pressure, the. broad center portion it (when provided) and the couinlet-ins. pieces between the ports (which are in equilibrium with regard to fluid pressure) act as shoes or slippers, supporting and distributing the expanding force over the whole surfaces in contact. By halving the Y narrow portions 5-7 and .18, '19 or doubling 25. the entire width of the ring, the pressure per square inch exerted between the contact surfaces would be halved, and therefore the coefficient of friction would be halved. Hence I have a ready means of designing my ring to suit any required pressure, a. y. in rings for low pressure where the pressures on the two sides of the piston are small, it would be advisable to increase the width of the narrow portions and lessen the width of the entire ring to insure contact with the cylinder walls and, therefore my type of ring first described (Figs. 2 and 3) would be most. suitable, whereas with high pressures. the narrow portions 5- 7 and 18, 19 requitfeto 40 be reducedand the-entire width of the ring increased. With my ring the said narrow portions need notbe more than one-fourth of the width of the ring, so that the pressure per square inch, and therefore the coetlicicnt.

of friction of my ring would not be more than one-fourth that of a plain ring (Fig. 1) and in the case of high pressure pumps' where the friction is very great, might. with advantage be. reduced to one'sixteenth' The attempts that have heretofore been made to putthe ring more nearly in equilibrium, have involved the use ofgrooves around the outsidc' of the ring, with small holes at. intervals through it, which in my practical experience are liable to become quickly filled or choked with carbonized oil or other foreign matter, and in the case of a pump bucket, retain solid matter which results in scored barrels, and causes the ring to. become nearly equivalent to a solid one. Furthermore these grooves reduce to a greater or less extent he rubbing, surface in comparison to the Width of th ring. in tiny ring howcver, the. inside and outside thereof are in open and direct. connnunication through a simple series of ports of relatively large dimensions while leaving av large enough bearing surface of metal to support the small expanding "force. Another proposal aimed at hitherto, was to equalize the steam pressure on the inner aml outer sides of the piston ring in order to prevent undue friction, and relying on a. known dclinite force In the form of separate springs, to

press the ring against. the cylinder walls to make a steam tightv joint. My present invention however, entirely avoids the use of separate springs.

I declare that what I claim is:-

l. The. combination with a piston having an annular peripheral groove; of a. packing ring disposed in said groove with snllicicnl, freedom to provide a space between the groove wall and the edge. of said rim for admitting high pressure fluid to the inner peripheral. surface of said ring and having' passageways from its inner peripheral surface to its outer peripheral or lx-aring surface, the total area of the bearing surface being not less than the ell'eclive total area of the internal peripheral surface exposed to ring expanding pressure.

2. The combination ol" a work piston having an annular packing ring groove, and a packing ring disposed therein with sutlicient play to admit innxi'nuun Iluid pressure to the inner peripheral ring surface, said packing ring having passageways from its inner ,peripheral surface to its bearing surface to admit maximum fluid pressure tothe hearing sin-tape, tbs. total ,area of the bearing surface being not substantially less than the total area of the PIOjOUiLlOll of the inner peripheral surface on the. bearing surface.

3. The. combinati't'm with a piston cylinder and a piston operating therein, proyided with anannular pcripherah groove; of a packing ring fitting loosely in said annular groove, with its outer peripheral surface adapted to bear against the cylinder wall,

said ring by reason of its loose fit. within the annular groove having its inner peripheral surface exposed to maximum pressure tending to expand the ring, and being provided with passageways from its inner peripheral surface to its outer bearing surface, the total area of said bearing surface being not. less than the total area of the inner pcripl'ieral surface In witness whereof, -1 have hereunto signed my name this 5th day of March 1912, in the presence of two subscribing wltnesses.

HENRY PERCY OWEN. Witnesses G. O. DYMoNn, Y. S. SHILLINGTON.

exposed to ring-expending pressure. 

